Mark of the Mermaid: Cursed
by theshadowphantom102
Summary: Summary is too large to fit in this space. Open for the full summary! Have you ever had this deep, nagging feeling like someone you love dearly is missing yet you can't figure out who? I do. Every day. And I have no idea why. I'll be surrounded by all of my closest friends and family, yet it still feels like someone is missing. Someone whom is so important to me..
1. Author's Note and Summary

Hello everyone!

I know it's been a very long time since I've published a chapter in Mark of the Mermaid. The reason it's been taking so long is because I realized certain parts weren't working well. So I've decided to recreate the entire story! For the past couple of weeks I've been hard at work planning and organizing the entire series. Yes, this will be a series! I've had so much inspiration for this that I simply cannot fit it all into one book. So stay tuned! For in the next upcoming months I will be updating the first few chapters!

Also as a heads up for this story I will NOT be following the original Greek myths. Honestly, it'll probably be best if you forget everything you know about Greek Mythology when you dive into this series because characters and events will be very different!

So stay tuned for the first chapter!

~Kat

Here's a quick summary to get you guys pumped!

 _Have you ever had this deep, nagging feeling like someone you love dearly is missing yet you can't figure out who? I do. Every day. And I have no idea why. I'll be surrounded by all of my closest friends and family, yet it still feels like someone is missing. Someone whom is so important to me, that his or her absence leaves a gaping hole in the core of my being. Yet, there's no one missing. At least I don't think there is._

Ami Merlani lived a rather normal life with her grandmother on their secluded farm in Eastham, Cape Cod. Everything changes however the second her 23rd birthday rolls around shortly after the death of her grandmother. Something inside her is stirring. A hidden part of her she had no knowledge of is starting to awaken the second she's exposed to the impossible.

The world she's known suddenly seems extremely small when she finds out she's really the goddess Amphitrite; wife of the great sea god Poseidon, earns the ability to communicate with spirits, and the fact that she can turn into a mermaid the second she's submerged in water.

If that wasn't enough to deal with on her already full plate she doesn't remember anything. Something is blocking her memories of her original life and is greatly interfering with her learning how to use her newfound powers. A major storm is rolling in and Ami is quickly running out of time. With plenty to learn and danger lurking around every corner Ami will need the help of her spirit guide, a werewolf, and a fiery demon queen to figure out how to control her powers and resurface her lost memories. All while juggling a major crush on her new stable hand and a budding romance with a possessive sea god she has no memory of.

Will she figure everything out before it's too late or will she sink under all of the pressure?


	2. Prologue

Prologue

 _The crashing of the thunderous waves_

 _Wake me from my forbidden slumber._

 _The aroma of the salty air burns my nostrils_

 _Awakening the senses that have been gone_

 _For what feels like an eternity._

 _A burning fire ignites in the pit of my soul_

 _Reminding me of whom I am meant to be._

 _A siren's song escapes from my lips_

 _Awakening my friends whom I've longed to see._

 _The cooling waves wash over my legs_

 _Beckoning me back where I long to be._

 _Like a sudden magick, I morph from woman to sea._

 _Where legs once stood; slippery scales of blue-green_

 _Flip and flop against the chilling waves._

 _Luscious mahogany curls billow round my porcelain skin._

 _Eyes of an emerald green bore into the darkness of the sea._

 _My home, my love, where I long to be._

 _Amongst the waves there lies the kingdom, my home._

 _Where I long to be._

 _Suddenly a crashing of waves larger than no man has seen before_

 _Crash unto me._

 _Then rising like a tower, my love and desire_

 _Shows himself to me._

 _Like a god of ocean and sea_

 _He parts the waters and comes to me._

 _Tiny droplets of water stream down his muscles and onto me._

 _Burning, beautiful eyes with hues of blue and grey_

 _Reminding me of the ocean where I long to be._

 _My love, my desire, my home, and my sea_

 _I take his calloused hand and let him take me_

 _Where I long to be._

 _In our kingdom beneath the haunting sea._


	3. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

 _January 22, 2016_

Everything in my heart hoped she would miraculously make it, but I knew deep down that this would be the end of the road for my Nana. She was always so full of life and cracking jokes with every chance she got, but once the cancer started to completely take over, she grew weak. In the past she always had setbacks and would bounce right back. I prayed this would be another one of those instances, but my gut told me not to get my hopes up too high. A single tear rolled down my cheek which I quickly wiped away as I tried to focus on the road. I needed to get home to Nana; I never should've gone into work at the library today. What if today was her last?

The streets of Eastham, Cape Cod were slowly beginning to flood from the downpour of heavy rain. It was odd for it to be this warm at the end of January, for it was usually freezing and the weather would typically be snowing, but not this year. The weather remained relatively warm for New England around this time of year. We had some snow at the beginning of December, but once January came along it had started to warm up and it would only rain.

Suddenly the clouds parted and a strong beam of light struck down through the dark clouds. The rain had immediately ceased as the sky parted. It was the most amazing sight I'd ever seen. Many people were pulling their cars to the side of the road to stop and take pictures of the phenomenon. My stomach lurched at that moment. She had passed when the sky opened up. I knew it deep down. I'm not sure how I knew, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the strange beam of light was for her, almost like a welcome as her soul ascended to the heavens.

After a few minutes the sky morphed back to the dreary dark grey clouds and the rain once again began to pour down on the earth. People were soon back on the road going about their daily lives as if nothing had happened. Sighing heavily I turned the car onto my street. Up ahead I could see my aunt and uncle's car parked in the long driveway leading up to the small cottage Nana and I shared.

I quickly pulled into the driveway and parked my green 2009 Subaru Outback by the barn where the horses were already in for the night. Stumbling out of the car I slowly made my way up the stone steps to the front door. Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the heavy wooden door and into the hallway. Immediately upon entering I could hear the quick hush of my family members. All eyes were on me. I desperately wanted to turn to the left and run up the stairs to my room, but I knew I couldn't do that.

Numbness filled me to the core as I slowly turned to the right and shuffled into the living room where my remaining family members were gathered around the trundle we had set up for Nana so she didn't have to walk up and down the stairs. She was still and appeared to be sleeping, but I knew better.

"Ami?"

Tears immediately began flooding down my cheeks. She was gone. My cousin Dia whom was closest to me immediately gathered me into a tight hug. I sobbed into her shoulder and held onto her tightly doing my best to avoid looking in the direction of my beloved grandmother.

Everyone knew how close the two of us were. My Nana had taken me in as a baby when my parents had died in a car crash. To this day I didn't know much about them. Just that they were very much in love and were excited to be starting a family. A drunk driver had hit them on their way back from the hospital with me in the back seat. Everyone said it was a miracle that a fragile infant whom had only been born a few days ago had been the only one to survive the crash. Once my Nana had found out about the terrible tragedy she insisted on raising me as her own. My aunts and uncles immediately obliged since they already had their own children to look after. From that day forward I never left my grandmother's side.

She taught me everything I knew about horse care and the sea. Two of my greatest loves besides art and books. She would often take me down the pathway through the forest behind the barn that lead down to her own private beach by the sea. My Papa whom had passed away when I was in my late teens was fairly wealthy and had built this beautiful cottage in our own little piece of paradise just for my grandmother. He adored the sea as well and chose this large secluded piece of property surrounded by four acres of meadows, five acres of forestry where he cleared out trails for her to ride her horses through and their own private beach by the sea, which stretched on for at least a mile.

I loved growing up in such a beautiful place rich with nature and love from my grandparents. Now that my Nana had passed to join Papa in heaven I wasn't sure how I was going to live on my own.

I lessened my grip on Dia and pulled away slightly. Her parents stared back at me with forlorn expressions on their faces. I wasn't very close with my Aunt Cindy and Uncle Pat, mainly because they disagreed with the way Nana had brought me up. Which was a bit odd, since Aunt Cindy was Nana's eldest daughter and my mother was her younger sister. They must've had a similar upbringing, but then again my Aunt Cindy wasn't much of an outdoorsy type and didn't particularly like being around the horses.

Luckily Dia and I were close. She was only three years older than me so the two of us practically grew up together. We both saw each other as more of sisters rather than cousins.

Dia tucked a loose mahogany curl behind my ear. Her honey-colored eyes were pink and her usually perfect olive skin was blotchy from crying. "I know how much she meant to you Ami. She meant a lot to all of us, but the two of you had a bond that could never be broken."

I nodded with a soft smile as I attempted to wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Ami, the undertaker will be here in a few minutes if you would like a few moments to say goodbye." Uncle Pat whispered to me and nodded in my Nana's direction.

Aunt Cindy was holding her hand and had just kissed her on the forehead before heading into the dining room. Soft sobs racked throughout her body. Uncle Pat placed a hand on my shoulder before kissing my forehead and going after his wife.

"Do you need me to stay in the room with you?" Dia asked softly giving my hand a tight squeeze in reassurance.

I shook my head and she exited the room to join her parents in the dining room. I grabbed a handful of tissues before sitting on the couch next to the trundle. Tears quickly blurred my vision as I held her hand in my own. Not feeling her squeeze back made the situation way too real. Sobs racked throughout my body as I tried to focus on the many beautiful memories the two of us shared in my twenty-three years of knowing her.

 _March 1, 2016_

Without Nana around, the cottage seemed larger than usual. It was always too quiet. I missed the sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen or the dull background noise of _General Hospital_ playing in the living room.

Dia had offered to stay with me on and off for the past few weeks, which helped a lot. Even though the cottage was lonely without Nana's laughter as she scolded our Russian Blue cat, Storm for jumping up on the counter or her chattering away on the telephone with an old friend, having Dia around made the cottage seem a little less lonely.

"Ami, you're probably not going to like this…" Dia stated as she flounced into the kitchen her straight brown hair a frazzled mess from her running her fingers through it all day. It was one of the many habits she picked up whenever she was stressed.

A frustrated groan escaped my lips as I looked up from my bowl of _Special K_. "If you're mother is suggesting on selling the cottage again she can go to fucking hell!"

Dia was fully aware of my growing distaste for her mother. It's been a little over a month since Nana's passing and Aunt Cindy was pretty set on selling the cottage along with all of the beautiful land I had fallen in love with. Even though the property was left in my name, she was still trying to find a way to get her grubby hands on my home and the only thing keeping me connected to my grandmother. She kept on insisting that the land was too much for me to handle by myself and it would be easier if we just sold it and I got an apartment with Dia in Brewster. But I knew deep down that Aunt Cindy was just after my grandmother's wealthy inheritance, which would come in a pretty paycheck if I ever decided to sell the farm. Aunt Cindy was always sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Even though the property wasn't left in her name she was still desperate to find a way to control the situation no matter how twisted her schemes were.

Dia rolled her eyes at me. "No, thankfully she dropped that horrid idea a few days ago when she realized she wasn't going to be getting her way."

I sighed with some relief but remained on edge of what her new tactic would include. "Ok, so what is this news that I am not going to like?" I huffed as I took a swig of the remaining milk left in my cereal bowl.

"She hired help."

A series of coughs erupted from my throat as I nearly choked. "She WHAT?"

Dia narrowed her honey eyes at me. "Relax it's just for the barn. Plus you have a guest room available so they'd have their own space. Besides, there is a plus for you in this new scheme of hers."

"There's a positive in all of this?" I was livid. "I've been taking care of those horses all of my life! I don't need help from some stranger. Besides I don't want them living in my home!"

"Ami breathe!" Dia rested her hands on my shoulders in an attempt to calm me down. "She suggested I move in with you so this way you're not the only one living in the house besides the stable hand and if you really don't want he or she living in the house we can just set up the small apartment above the barn.

Taking in deep shallow breaths I started to calm down. I guess the idea wasn't too bad and if Dia was going to be moving in… the house wouldn't seem so lonely all of the time. Plus if I was going to have a stable hand that would mean less stress for me with both work and classes. The more I thought about it, I was slowly starting to approve of this plan. _I might actually be able to get more painting done…Plus the house won't be empty anymore with Dia living here._

"Ok fine. I'll accept, but only because you're going to be my roommate."

Dia smiled brightly showing off her perfectly white teeth. I swear my cousin was so gorgeous she'd put Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty to shame. "Great! I was hoping you would say that!" She flung her arms around me in a tight hug while bouncing up and down with excitement.

 _March 27, 2016_

Dia had finally finished moving in last week and I had just finished cleaning the guest apartment for our new stable hand whom was due to arrive later this evening. From what Aunt Cindy had described he was a very experienced horseman who's been around horses his entire life and was ranked as one of the best trainers in the world. I was surprised she was able to get someone of that rank to work for a private property of just a few horses, but she claimed that he wanted to settle down and take some time to himself away from the spotlight. Thinking about it, I couldn't blame him but why work for two women with only four horses was beyond me. He could've gone to one of those high-end stables in England but for some reason he chose us.

Much to my discomfort I still had yet to meet the man who would be tending to the horses I've grown up with, but Aunt Cindy just had to control something that had nothing to do with her as usual.

In an attempt to get some relaxing time to myself before our new staff arrived I sat out in the meadows with the horses. Paintbrush in hand I worked on a painting of my beloved palomino mare, Ada.

"Just a few more finishing touches and you're all set girl, I promise." I assured Ada, as I added the finishing details to my painting of her. Ada was going on 35 years this month and I knew she wasn't going to last much longer. She had grown weary from old age and no longer had the energy for our daily trail ride. Instead I had grown accustomed to painting her whenever I had the time off from classes or my job at the Eastham Public Library.

Sitting in the meadow with her while enjoying the warm afternoon sun was one of my favorite pass times since the weather finally started to get warmer after the freezing rain we've had since Nana passed. Everyone is hoping for an early spring this year, but we'll probably get another northeastern sometime soon like we do every year. The weather usually doesn't stay nice around here in early spring for long. New England usually has a habit of taking the old storm saying; "If it's in like a lion then it will be out like a lamb," way too seriously. Though lately it's always vise versa, besides the weather never actually gets nice until mid or the end of April if we're lucky.

"There you go girl, all done." I announced to her happily showing off the now finished acrylic painting I had been working on of her for the past week. A soft giggle escaped my lips as Ada nodded her head in appreciation, a gentle whinny escaping her lips. Her massive terracotta hoof counted playfully on the ground kicking up loose bits of frozen dirt in the process.

"Painting Ada again, I see. Are you ever going to get tired of painting the same subject?" A sarcastic female voice teased from behind me.

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Well, she is a much more appealing subject than the riff raff I used to paint on a regular basis." I stated accusingly.

"You wound me, Ami, you absolutely wound me." Alieah stated dramatically as she fell to the ground with a loud thud for emphasis.

Alieah and I had been pretty close since we met at a horse camp my grandparents used to hold every summer. Sadly my grandmother cancelled the program once my grandfather fell ill and never opened it back up since his passing.

Alieah and I were entering the fourth grade when we met. Alieah had just moved here from Lithuania and didn't know anyone yet. She was an extremely obnoxious child back then, always throwing paint at the other kids during arts and crafts or flipping adults off behind their backs when they weren't looking. She was absolutely insane and was always getting into trouble, but for some reason she liked me. The quiet kid, that lived on the grounds and enjoyed the days we would go swimming in the ocean or had arts and crafts the most.

I remember on the third day she came up to me snapping her bubble gum, which she wasn't supposed to be chewing around the horses, and asked why I lived here with the old lady. I explained to her that my parents died in a car wreck the week after I was born leaving me to live with my grandparents on their farm. From that day on she stuck by my side always causing trouble while I tried my best to keep her out of it. Shaking my head I brought myself back to the present.

I raised an eyebrow at my only friend, as she played dead on the ground with her tongue hanging out to the side. Ada took it upon herself to nudge the blonde with her nose causing her to laugh as she continued to nuzzle her with her soft muzzle.

"Ok Ada, I get it, you are much more pleasing than I'll ever be." Alieah laughed whole heartedly as she pushed herself back to her feet. "Ready to ride, birthday girl?"

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I almost forgot it was my birthday today. Dia had left a birthday card and a plate of her famous waffles with strawberries out for me. She had learned the recipe from Nana years ago. Nana used to make those amazing waffles for me every morning on my birthday. It was a sweet gesture and I knew she meant well, but I wasn't in the mood for celebrating. I missed her too much to focus on my first birthday without her.

"You know I'd love to Alieah, but Ada just isn't up for trails anymore. Besides the new stable hand is arriving later and I need to be here to show him around." My fingers gently combed through Ada's soft white mane as I desperately tried to fight the tears from starting up.

Alieah rolled her crystal blue eyes at me. "Well, of course you wouldn't be riding Ada. You can always ride one of the other horses or I'll even let you ride Ray just to cheer you up. As for the stable hand… Dia is home she can show him around. We both know you've drilled the routine into her head by now plus you can always rattle him later."

A ghost of a smile crossed my lips as I thought of her bay thoroughbred. Ray was fun to ride, but Alieah loved her horse like he was her own son. I wasn't going to make her ride one of the other horses when she could be riding her own. Besides I could always ride the docile dun mustang, Rocky whom my grandmother just bought a few months ago before she passed or I could even take my grandmother's dapple-grey mare, Larka out, if she would let me. Larka, definitely knew that Nana wasn't around anymore. I worried about the mare greatly, she ate little and would stand closest to the house in hopes Nana would come walking out the front door apple in hand and a smile on her face. Perhaps a short walk on one of the trails would help pull her out of her depression for at least an hour or so.

There were at least three different trails for us to ride the horses through. All three of them went through the woods, but only one of them lead out to the ocean. The ocean trail was by far my favorite. Back when Ada could still ride, we used to walk down the beach enjoying the refreshing sea air and the gentle hum of the waves.

It was for lack of the better word, breathtaking. The smell of fresh meadow grass, rustic woods, and salty sea air was an aroma to die for. Not to mention the fact that there were no neighbors for at least a mile south of the meadow. The property was definitely the perfect escape for an elderly woman whom loved to keep to herself, her family, and of course the three horses she cared for aside from Ada.

I shook my head. "Fine, but just one lap on the ocean trail! You ride Ray. I'll take Larka out. She needs to do something to take her mind off Nana's passing. She seems to be taking it harder than myself." I bit my lip in an attempt to push back the tears that were threatening to fall. They never seemed to stop since the funeral.

Alieah did a small happy dance before quickly turning around she was definitely growing impatient. The girl had the attention span of a goldfish. "Hurry up! We're going on that trail ride so no more dilly dallying!"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Let me put my art supplies away first then we'll go out I promise!"

 **A/N:** **Hi guys sorry the first chapter has been going under some major editing for the past few months, but I've finally come up with a solid story. Let me know what you think! I love reading your comments! Stay tuned for the next chapter :)**


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The heavy wooden door slammed behind me with a loud thud causing me to quickly turn around and glare at Alieah. She formed her lips with an "oops" before giving the door a pat causing me to laugh at her ridiculousness. The two of us turned to the left of the doorway and to the staircase. I made it up about halfway before the all too familiar sense of dread filled my body to the core.

My world was spinning and darkness formed around the edges of my sight before completely clouding over my vision in a dark haze as my body went limp.

 _A soft giggle escapes my lips leaving an endless trail of bubbles floating around me. The cool teal light of the cleanest depths of the ocean surrounds me. More giggles escape as my body twirls with the gentle current. My dark mahogany curls float around me in a sort of halo. My body moves gently in time with the role of the tides as if it were made to be one with the sea. The faint sound of a deep voice rings through my ears calling my name. This voice brings me such joy it's almost unexplainable. Waves of complete and utter bliss flow through my body as I'm wrapped in the arms of a lover. A spicy aroma with a hint of musk and sea fills my nostrils as my face is buried deep in the muscular shoulder of my love. The same voice whispers sweet nothings in my ear causing me to yet again erupt in a fit of giggles. Never in my entire life have I felt such happiness. It's almost too good to be real._

 _Something is stirring inside me. I'm waking. No! I don't want this dream to end! It's too soon! I've been waiting so long…. I don't want to wait anymore…_

"Ami…? Ami? AMI!"

I jolt from the dream. Alieah's blue eyes are staring into my own orbs of green. A look of concern graced her features as she stared me down.

"You ok?" She asked.

I nod slowly, immediately regretting it when my head started swimming with nausea. My back is in pain and it takes me a minute to realize that this time I managed to pass out on the stairs. Luckily Nana had the stairs carpeted years ago incase this were to happen again. The last time I fainted I had hit my head pretty hard and ended up in the hospital with a concussion and a few stitches.

I've been having these fainting spells followed by weird dreams for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I would only have the dreams at night. They were merely just images of me swimming through the ocean. However, as the years passed by and I grew older the dreams became much more frequent. I had my first fainting spell in elementary school. Dia and I were at the old playground on our spots on the swings. To this day we still went there just to pass the time. Anyways, we were just sitting and talking about the latest episode of _Drake and Josh_ that was aired the night before when in a matter of seconds I had passed out cold and fell off the swing set. I woke up a few minutes later on the ground with Dia and a few parents who were watching their kids surrounding me calling an ambulance.

Almost every time the dream is similar. I'm deep in the depths of the ocean often swimming and having the time of my life. The mysterious man only started showing up in my dreams when I entered my senior year of high school. I never got a name or a face, only the hypnotizing smell of his cologne and his deep voice. There's such a familiarity to the dream. It seems almost as if I knew this man personally, perhaps in another life? Just the thought of it made my head spin.

The past year in itself has been extremely brutal. The fainting spells have become so frequent that I'm having one at least once or twice a week. I've visited several doctors only to leave with no answers. Every test taken would come out normal. In the medical world there was nothing wrong with me. No blood pressure drops, no lack of oxygen in the brain, not even a heart condition. Nana always said that she didn't believe in modern medicine. To her doctors were a load of bullshit and a complete waste of time. In her mind I would be much better off with sipping some basil tea or chewing on either ginger root or mint leaves to help prevent the fainting. None of them prevented it though they only eased the symptoms afterwards. The real reason my aunt hired the stable hand and insisted on Dia living with me was probably because she's afraid I'm over worked or going to faint out in the meadow with the horses.

"I'm fine." I move to stand, but another wave of nausea settled over me. "Ok, maybe I should just lay here for a few minutes."

"She faint again?" Dia called from the kitchen.

"Yes!" Alieah called back. "She fell on the stairs, hurt her back this time. I don't think it's serious."

Dia then appeared at the end of the stairwell with a small piece of raw ginger in her hand. "I know you prefer the mint, but this will help with the nausea." She stated placing the ginger in my hand. She reminded me way too much of Nana at that given moment.

Reluctantly I placed the ginger in my mouth wincing at the spicy flavor. Almost immediately I began to feel better and slowly rose to a sitting position.

"So did you see Mr. Hunka Hunka again?" Alieah asked with a knowing smirk and a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I glared at her. "You know very well that I never see his face."

"Who knows, maybe one day you will." Dia mused mysteriously.

"I doubt that. The dream hasn't progressed in years. I'll probably never figure out what they mean." I sighed heavily.

"Don't say such things. In time you will find the answers you are looking for. You just need to stop looking and they will come to you." With that Dia left the room with a wink.

I sighed heavily. I loved Dia, but when she spoke in illusive sentences it never helped me after an episode. My Nana used to claim that Dia had a gift from the Gods. According to her she could predict the future, heal the sick with herbs and crystals, interpreted the meanings of dreams and could talk to spirits. I always just assumed Nana had a wild imagination since Dia always shrugged her accusations off, but the more I paid attention to her actions she obviously knew more than she was letting on, but no matter how many times I had tried to coax the truth out of her the woman would evade the topic. By this point I had given up on her caving. I'd been trying to get some sort of answer from her for years, yet never made any progress whatsoever. I guess I'll just have to live with the fact I may never know what these strange dreams meant.

"Do you need me to help you up the stairs?" Alieah asked holding her hands out to me.

I shook my head. "Nah, I should be fine. Just be prepared to catch me in case I fall again." With that I headed up the stairs to my room with Alieah trailing behind me.

The old hardwood floors creaked beneath our feet as we stepped into my bedroom. The room was rather large. There was enough space for me to fit a queen size bed, two bookcases, and a small aquarium of salt-water fish. The walls were painted a gorgeous shade of sea foam green and the floors were made of East Indian rosewood with the occasional fluffy white rug covering the floor. Paintings I had done over the years of the ocean, forest, and horses grazing in the meadows decorated the walls.

My dresser, which was decorated with mermaid statues, was the first thing you saw when walking into the room. Above it sat a rectangular mirror decorated with seashells, starfish, and sand dollars I had collected from the beach. Next to my bed was a bay window with a seating area. It was my favorite area in my room. I could relax with a cup of tea while I read a book or wrote in my poetry journal.

The view from my room overlooked our beautiful private beach. If I were to open a window the salty aroma of the sea air would travel in. It was complete bliss. Especially at night when a cool breeze would come in and the beautiful fairy lights decorated around the grounds twinkled in the darkness.

My bookshelves were stuffed full with my favorite novels, poetry, my own writing, and DVD's. On the far side of the wall sat a medium sized flat screen TV and a day bed that pulled out into a trundle for when Alieah slept over. Next to the day bed was a small walk in closet, which led into a twin bathroom, which connected to the guest room. The space was slightly cramped but I didn't mind. I was just happy I had a tub. One of my favorite things to do was to take a hot bath in the winter when it was too cold to swim in the ocean.

Any other time of the year, you'd find me swimming in the sea. I was absolutely in love with the cool salty water, the calming sound of the rolling waves, soft sand beneath my feet and the aroma of the sea breeze. If it were warm out I'd be in the water in a heartbeat. Maybe my deep love for the ocean had something to do with my dreams. I'd thought about doing some research on it the next time I had a few hours to kill. Since I worked at the library there really was no excuse as to why I haven't grabbed a few books for research. I made a mental note to grab some books after my shift tomorrow.

I set my paints and the painting of Ada on my desk before collapsing onto my bed. This past fainting spell really took the energy out of me.

"I'm guessing you're not up for that ride today." Alieah stated as she sat on the edge of my bed her face filled with concern.

Lightly shaking my head I wrapped a throw blanket around me. "I'm sorry girl, that fainting spell was a rough one."

"Are you going to be okay?" Her calloused hand tucked a curl behind my ear.

"Yeah, I'm just going to take a short nap and I should be golden when I wake up."

"Alright Ami, I'm going to leave then. I'll stop by later with take out from Jade Garden and some booze around seven."

My eyes lit up at the sound of my favorite Chinese restaurant. "I love you!"

"Love ya too girl! Get some rest so we can party tonight!"

I watched her as she left my room closing the door behind her. I could've sworn I saw a hint of ice in her gaze, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. I shook my head into the pillow, thinking back to today's vision and kept replaying it over and over in my mind. _Something seems different about this one but I can't put my finger on what it is._ This was the last thought I had before sleep took over.

 _The faint sound of a deep voice rings through my ears calling my name. This voice brings me such joy it's almost unexplainable. Waves of complete and utter bliss flow through my body as I'm wrapped in the arms of a lover. A spicy aroma with a hint of musk and sea fills my nostrils as my face is buried deep in the muscular shoulder of my love. The same voice whispers sweet nothings in my ear causing me to yet again erupt in a fit of giggles. Never in my entire life have I felt such happiness._

 _"_ _Ami? . . . . Ami? Earth to Ami?" He was speaking to me._

 _"_ _Huh! Oh I'm sorry I spaced out." No way was I going to tell him I was thinking about last night. He moved his face into my view._

 _"_ _Were you just thinking about last night?" he asked knowingly, as I quickly looked away blushing deeply. I swear nothing got by that man._

 _A calloused finger stroked the bottom of my chin causing me to look up into his eyes. I could easily get lost in his stormy blue gaze. His face was extremely well sculpted yet rugged at the same time. Thick dark eyebrows curved up in amusement as a knowing smirk graced his perfectly full lips. His lips were partially hidden by his thick unruly beard that grew to about mid chest. He chose not to wear a top allowing my eyes to hungrily take in the beauty of his well-sculpted muscles. All of his muscles were huge and tanned. Intricate navy tribal markings that seemed to mimic the pattern of scales, tentacles and shark teeth decorated both of his forearms. The same markings started on either side of his navel and worked their way up his chest in a V shape. The man towered over me at about 6ft 4in._ _My eyes traveled back up his body to meet his amused stare. I reached up to play with a long curl of his jet-black hair that draped down to just above the small of his back._

 _"_ _I don't know what you're talking about." I uttered stubbornly trying to avert my gaze before I blushed even deeper. I quickly decided to distract him from the topic, so I stood up on my tiptoes as he leaned down. Our lips met in a loving kiss. The faint taste of scotch mingled in with the natural taste of his skin…._

I jolted awake from a loud banging on the door. Groggily I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. _Well that dream was strange… I've never had the fainting dream while sleeping before, let alone a continuation of the dream. I wonder who the man was? I've never felt that way with any of my previous boyfriends. I could feel myself longing for him yet I had no idea who he was. Why did a strange man from my dreams make me feel this way?_ The bitter taste of alcohol burned the roof of my mouth. _Wait a minute is that scotch I taste?_

"You can come in." I managed to mumble loudly.

Alieah waltzed in two brown paper bags in her hand. The delicious aroma of Chinese filled my nostrils as my stomach began to growl.

"Did you try to funnel feed me scotch in my sleep?" I asked suddenly.

Alieah paused and stared at me like I'd grown two heads. "How hard did you hit your head? And how did you know I had scotch?" She exclaimed as she pulled out the unopened bottle of scotch dramatically from one bag.

I licked my lips subconsciously "I don't know why, but I taste scotch..."

Alieah paused bottle still held in mid air. "Were you drinking while you were sleeping? If so please teach me how!"

I deadpanned with an exasperated huff, "Alieah please, I'm being serious!"

Alieah rolled her crystal blue eyes at me before turning serious again. "Ok… why do you taste scotch?"

I paused unsure of how to word the dream properly. "I had the dream again. Only this time it was different. There was… more…"

"What do you mean more?" Alieah asked her dirty blonde eyebrow raised slightly with curiosity.

"He kissed me…" I stated staring dreamily into the distance remembering the kiss that left me feeling more alive than I thought humanly possible. _Our lips met in a loving kiss. The faint taste of scotch mingled in with the natural taste of his skin…._

Alieah waved her hand in front of my face bringing me back to the present. Startled I turned my attention back to her only to be greeted with a seriously disturbed expression on her face. Her features were mixed with sarcasm, confusion and concern. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital."

"No, no I'm fine." I quickly snatched the scotch from her hand and took a swig. I sighed as it burned down my throat. Satisfying my craving for the drink but not his lips. _I seriously need to return to that dream. I need to see him again. I needed to talk to him and try to get some answers out of him. Maybe even kiss him again or perhaps something more…_ A sudden heat settled in my groin causing me to quickly shake myself out of my daydream before I started acting like a cat in heat. Raising the bottle to my lips once more I downed another shot.

"Wow, easy tiger, you're downing that thing like a fucking fish. Let me catch up before you drink the whole bottle!" Alieah laughed as she snatched the bottle from my hand and took a swig for herself.

"Oi! No snatching the bottle from the birthday girl." I chastised before snatching the bottle back for myself.

"Fair enough, I'll let you win this time." Alieah rolled her eyes as she began unpacking the take out.

I took another swig from the bottle before closing the cap back on. "I don't know Alieah, what do you think it means?" I asked suddenly.

"What your dream?" Alieah asked before slurping up a forkful of Chinese noodles.

Nodding I looked down at my chicken and broccoli deep in thought. Desperately trying to figure out why the dream decided to suddenly progress into an actual interaction with the lover.

"I'm not sure I have the answer to that." Alieah sighed taking a shot of the scotch. She leaned back on her hands and eyed me a puzzled expression on her face.

"What wrong?"

Alieah shook her head and looked at her watch. Her crystal blue orbs widened in panic. "No no no…" She quickly bolted to my window and peaked behind the curtain. "FUCK!"

Quickly jumping to my feet I went to join her by the window but she was already running for the door.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to go! I lost track of the time and I'm running late!" She wheezed as she stuffed her leftovers into one of the paper bags.

"What are you talking about? I thought we were going to watch some movies?"

"I know, and I feel like shit because it's your birthday but can we please have a rain check? I need to get going before I get in trouble again." She pleaded.

"What are you going to get in trouble for?" I asked, something was seriously wrong. Nothing scared Alieah like this and she usually never cared if she was late for anything. Hell she'd probably show up late to her own wedding and not give two shits about it.

She shook her head. "I don't have time to explain. I'll text you tomorrow!" And with that she bolted from the room, Not even thirty seconds had passed and the front door slammed shut. _Damn she really is in a hurry._

Confused I walked over to the window and pushed back the curtains searching for what could've freaked her out so much. There was nothing in sight though, just the darkness of the night and the bright pale light of the full moon shining down on the earth.

 **A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter please feel free to leave any feedback! I love hearing from you guys! :)**


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